AUSTIN — Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa issued the following statement after the passage of Senate Bill 24 today in the Texas House of Representatives:

"Senate Bill 24, to merge UT-Pan American and UT-Brownsville and to create a free-standing medical school, has been our priority all session long and even though there were contentious issues to work out, I commend the Rio Grande Valley Delegation for working through these difficult challenges. In the end, we have come together to pass this legislation that will greatly benefit and transform the entire South Texas region through education, healthcare and economically for years to come. The expansion of educational opportunities will create greater access to health care and the related health care businesses that the medical school will attract will be a great boost to our quality of life in the Valley. I thank my colleague Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. for working together on the Senate side, the leadership of Representatives Rene Oliveira, and Eddie Lucio, III and our Hidalgo County Delegation Representatives Mando Martinez, Sergio Munoz, Terry Canales, Bobby Guerra, and Oscar Longoria for their hard work, perseverance and leadership."

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